Sunday, June 24, 2007

Life List Day 97 - Cuddle a Puppy

I'm not a dog person, but who could resist this?

My friend, Kirsten, and I took our sons to a skate shop opening, and I was thinking that would be my "thing" I'd do for my life list for the day. It was a bit of a bust for us (the boys liked it), so we decided to do some poking around the mini mall instead. That's when we found the puppy store.

I would never normally walk into a store called Puppies for the simple reason stated above - I'm not a dog person. I don't dislike them - I was just raised with cats, and now I have the pigs. I find dogs a bit too eager to please. (Which I suppose could be quite the insight into my love life - how my #1 objection to a species is that they WANT me.)

Anyway, Kirsten and I totally fell in love with a little spaniel pup. She was sweet, flirty, petite - and I finally understood where the term "puppy dog eyes" came from.

If I was allowed a dog in my apartment - and if I had a spare $1,200 to spend - I'd have definitely tossed her in my purse and brought her home.

5 comments:

Oh Lord...what a cute puppy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I used to have a cocker spaniel a few years ago...I am totally a dog person; my dogs are treated as people (no, I don't put clothes on them - that's the paramount of ridicule; no I don't say they are my children - I am not that needy)! If you ever go to live in a place where dogs are allowed, remember: spaniels are cute, but when they grow up their coat falls all over the house (just in case you fall in love with another puppy ha ha ha...)Cheers!

Never get a puupy from a puppy store. They come from HORRIBLE conditions at Puppy Mills where the mothers are kept pregnant most of their life are are mistreated and abused. There is research all over the internet. And most of the dogs have kennel cough and are very sick. It is a horrible life for these animals. Animal shelters are a way better way to get a new friend. Also alot of the big companies like Johnson & Johnson and Proctor and Gamble use the unwanted animals in their labratories to test products on . These animals are tortured on a daily basis so we can pamper our bodies and do our dishes. Do the research, it is scary to think that it could be on of your animals.

Please, do not purchase puppies (or any other animal) from stores! The abuse, in-breeding and resulting deformities and health problems, and lack of even decent considerations are just the "highlights" of puppy mills. Shelters have lots of dogs and puppies and other animals on death row, just waiting to be adopted. Recent research shows that 75% - 85% of animals that go into shelters do NOT come out alive. Adoption costs less, your more likely to get a healthier pet, you give a homeless animal a home, and reduced store sales put puppy mills out of business.

And if you like the idea of Life Lists, check out my novel, THE NEXT THING ON MY LIST. It tells the story of a woman who is trying to complete a Life List for someone who died before she had a chance to finish it herself.